Austin Channing Brown began her journey as a racial reconciler in college with an experience called Sankofa–a three-day bus trip exploring black history sites throughout the South. On this pilgrimage that she came face-to-face with her own history, shared the experience with others, and–for the first time in her life–watched friends become transformed by learning about African American history and racism.

Austin earned a master’s degree in social justice from Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan. Building on her Sankofa experience and the foundation of her graduate work, she has directed a short-term missions site on the west side of Chicago, creating interactive opportunities for youth to engage issues of poverty, injustice. She also served on staff with Willow Creek Community Church, developing strategies and programming around multiculturalism. Currently she serves as resident director and multicultural liaison for Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Austin travels the country through out the year sharing her message at colleges, universities, conferences, and churches. She has been featured at the Justice Conference, Why Christian? Conference, Christians for Biblical Equality International Conference, the University of Northwestern, the CCDA National Conference, the Salvation Army ONE Conference and Focus on the Family: Focus Leadership Institute, to name just a few.

Racial justice, reconciliation, and womanhood have continued to be the core of her message. She writes about these topics on her popular blog austinchanning.com and as regular contributor to Today’s Christian Woman. She has also contributed to Her.maneutics, Relevant, and A Higher Calling.

She is married to her best friend, Tommie, an attorney in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and adores her little puppy, Mowgli.